When the cat's away, the mice will play
by hjay.g
Summary: One-shot. Remus finds a cat, Sirius gets jealous. Possible pre-slash?


_A/N: Hey there! So I actually started writing this one-shot a couple months ago, but totally forgot about it until now. I'm hoping this one isn't terrible, any criticism is welcome. Oh, and thanks to Amanda (ponzie) for beta-ing this story (:_

The Gryffindor common room is a delightful place. The couches are comfortable, and the fire place emits a warm glow that lights up the room. It is a quiet place for housemates to socialize and complete unfinished assignments. The overall feel of the room is warm and inviting, that is, unless the turbulently active and noisy Sirius Black isn't present. Much to the distress of one Remus Lupin, Sirius Black is almost always present.

"Remus John Lupin!" came a booming voice.

Remus inwardly sighed and braced himself for whatever antics were about to take place. He placed a spare piece of parchment in his book, "How may I be of assistance?"

Sirius jumped over the back of the couch opposite from Remus, "Why is there a grotesque mass of fur sitting on your bed?" he sat down and ran a hand through his dark hair , "You know Moony, you would make a terrible interior designer."

"Alas, you have gone and ruined my dream of becoming a world renowned interior designer."

"Sorry, but it had to be done. So why is there an unattractive furry thing lurking on your bed?"

"Oh, it's a cat," Remus stated simply. "I found it wandering around Hogsmede yesterday and decided to bring it back here."

Sirius gave him a scandalized expression, "I hate cats!" he clutched his hand to his chest dramatically and pouted, "How dare you bring the evil that is feline in to our home!"

Remus rolled his eyes, "You do realize that my world doesn't revolve around you."

"Pfft, what else would it revolve around?"

"You are such a narcissist." he mumbled.

Sirius grinned widely, "I'll just pretend that was a compliment." he ruffled Remus' hair and bounded off the couch and up the the dormitories, leaving Remus immensely frustrated.

* * *

><p>Sirius Black hates cats. They're useless and incapable of anything remotely interesting. How could anyone want a pet with the same behavioral patterns as a rock? One would assume that Remus of all people would despise cats as much as Sirius considering their canine idiosyncrasies, apparently not.<p>

"I hate your cat," Sirius was sprawled out on the bottom of Remus' bed, constantly glaring at the orange feline. "It looks like something a dragon coughed up."

Remus glanced up from his book, "First of all, his name is Heathcliff. Secondly, I think he's quite adorable."

Sirius snorted, "Heathcliff? What kind of a name is Heathcliff?"

"It's from a Muggle comic I used to read. (1)"

"Well I think it's a stupid name."

Remus turned a page in his book, "Sirius, you sound like a child."

"I can't help it! Your cat makes me angry, and my anger will eventually lead to whining and tantrums!" he huffed. Sirius rolled off of the bed and jumped up, landing on a foreign object.

"What the-" he quickly jumped back while the angry feline hissed and swiped at his foot.

"By the way, watch your step." smirked Remus from behind his book. Sirius made a noise in the back of his throat that resembled a growl, and stomped out of the dormitory while mumbling something about feeding Heathcliff to the Giant Squid.

* * *

><p>"I swear on Merlin's left bollock, that cat will be the death of me," Sirius mumbled with a mouthful of egg to a groggy James. That morning he had awoke to a dark mass at the foot of his bed, and had instinctively kicked it off, thinking it was an article of clothing. There had been a loud yelp, and it didn't take him long to realize that robes certainly did not yelp. "It's out to get me, Prongs."<p>

James yawned loudly, "Don't be silly, Sirius."

"I'm not! It's always making strange faces at me!"

James smirked, "Seems to me like there's another issue here, not just a vengeful feline," Before Sirius could protest, James cut him off, "I think you're jealous."

Sirius choked on his tea, "James that's absurd! How could I be jealous of a cat?"

"I think you're jealous of the fact that you don't get Remus' full attention anymore."

"James, do you really think I'm that immature?" Sirius asked incredulously, "Wait, don't answer that."

James sniggered, "Yes, I do think you're that immature."

Sirius mumbled some profanities and stalked out of the Great Hall. He spent that entire afternoon mulling over what James had said. Sirius knew he had always been a jealous person, but to be jealous of a feline? It sounded insane, but he knew there was some truth to it. James had always been too perceptive for his own good.

The rest of the day went by slowly, allowing Sirius' mind to jump to bizarre conclusions. When he arrived in the Great Hall for dinner, he saw Remus looking absolutely furious. He considered running away, but Remus had already spotted him, and was walking straight toward him.

"Sirius Orion Black, what have you done with my cat?" he growled menacingly.

Sirius spluttered, "Wait, what?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you hated that cat."

"I honestly don't have a clue what you're talking about!" he exclaimed.

"Heathcliff is gone, and I know you had something to do with it."

Sirius was taken aback by Remus' accusation, "Bloody hell, I did hate that cat, but I'd never do anything to upset you." How could Remus think so little of him? Sure, he might have done it if the cat belonged to Snivellus, but he would never do that to Remus.

"I never thought you would sink that low, guess I was wrong." spat Remus, and he stalked out of the Great Hall without a second glance.

* * *

><p>Remus sat perched on the window sill in the boys dormitories. No one had seen Sirius since dinner, and he was beginning to worry. His stomach twisted as thoughts of the menacing creatures in the Forbidden Forest invaded his mind. What if Sirius had gone in? He could be hurt, or dead. Remus mentally scolded himself for jumping to the worst conclusion, as that possibility was now imbedded in his mind.<p>

He checked his watch, it read half-past two, and he thanked Merlin there were no classes the next day. Remus was beginning to doze off when the door to the dormitory creaked open. He awoke with a start and saw Sirius standing at the door soaking wet, holding a squirming feline in his arms. He dropped the cat on the ground and swore loudly. Remus muttered a quick, "_Lumos." _and examined Sirius; he was covered in mud, along with various scratches and a large gash along his neck.

"I found Heathcliff. He was stuck in a tree, took bloody forever to get the monster down." he looked down at his feet. Remus bounded over and caught Sirius in a bear hug, he eagerly hugged back.

"I'm sorry." Remus muttered in to his shoulder. Sirius patted him on the back, and pulled away.

"You're covered in mud." he grinned.

Remus looked down at his front, "Indeed I am," he laughed. "I really am sorry I ever doubted you. I don't know how I can make it up to you."

"Well, a months worth of servitude would be nice..." he smirked.

Remus scoffed, "Before you start plotting, you should probably get cleaned up."

Sirius nodded and made his way to the bathroom, stopping at the door, "Wait, are you planning on keeping the cat?"

"No, I'll probably give him to Hagrid to take care of."

"Can't say I'm upset to see him go." he laughed.

Remus smiled, "Yeah, I was never much of a cat person anyway."

_(1) Heathcliff was a comic strip created in 1973 that featured an orange tabby cat, this is where the name came from. _


End file.
